One of the images we see weekly in our Prayers of the People is that of the Smith family. Russ and Heidi Smith are our missionaries assigned to Chile, supported each year by the Beloved community from our Offering Basket Tithe. They last visited Beloved in May of 2005 to share their work and to thank Beloved for our continuing support. Over the past year they have been in the United States for respite/continuing education time and to raise funds for their next assignment in Chile.

Dear Friends,

We apologize for not having sent a (recent) update. One reason for the delay is that there have been some major changes in our plans that have developed and we wanted to wait until things were more definite so we could let you know. The major change is that God has led us to extend our "extended home ministry assignment" (in the United States) by another year. There are a number of factors He used to bring us to this decision. As you know, our financial situation is not as it should be. In April we were not able to receive our salary, though God did meet all of our needs for that month in other ways. Since then, we have been able to receive our salary, but the funds are not what they need to be for our return to Chile. Over the years God has always provided the funds for us to be where He wants us to be when He wants us to be there. We began to wonder: Could it be that the time was not right for us to return to Chile in October? So we began to look at other things He was showing us.

#1 Joshua (16), who has always struggled with the social and emotional aspect of school life, has had a fabulous year in his high school here. So much so, that he said he would prefer to live with a family here so he could continue at Blair H.S. in the fall, rather than return to Chile.

#2 Joel (19), returned home six weeks ago after eight months of living on his own. He was (and still is) in a very difficult financial situation, and finally accepted our invitation to live with us. Here in Pasadena he got a good job as a manager in training at a shoe store. Having us close by for another year could be a helpful thing for him (we think!). He plans to give college another attempt this fall. It would be good to know that when we return to Chile that he is "on track." Please pray.

#3 Although there are great reports on the Diocese of Chile's website concerning the progress of the newly planted church in La Serena that we were to be a part of, we have had almost no direct contact with them over these months, and began to wonder whether they really needed us at that location at this time.

So we brought all these things to the Lord and asked Him to make His will clear. Over the past three weeks He has been doing just that.

Joyanne (13) really misses her friends in Chile and didn't even want to consider the possibility of staying another year, but two Sundays ago at the church we were visiting, she responded to the invitation to come up for prayer. Her prayer request was for her heart: "That God would help me accept what He is saying through my parents' decision even if it's not what I want." The next day she told us that her heart was "OK and that it was alright with her to stay." Wow! That was huge! Besides this, she has advanced so much with her spelling, reading and writing in English, that we feel that another year here would be very beneficial for her educational development.

When we talked with SAMS they said they too had been sensing that staying another year could be the best thing for our family, and our sharing how we believed God was leading us was confirmation for them. Stewart Wicker, our executive director, said that he would talk with Bishop Tito in Chile, and he urged us to look into the details of staying for another year. Heidi had been offered a full-time teaching position (4^th/5^th grade) "if you were to stay" which we found out was still available. The family scheduled to move into our apartment here decided the very next week not to. Finally, when Stewart got to talk with Bishop Tito, he was happy to hear the news. He told Stewart, first of all, that they definitely are pleased with our work and want us back in Chile. Also he said that at a meeting of the deans of the diocese a few weeks earlier, when looking at our placement, at least two other options had come up, both involving church planting. He said that nothing had been decided, but that having this extra year would be helpful for them to determine where we could most effectively serve.

With that, the "last piece of the puzzle" has fallen into place. It is incredible to think that all of this has transpired in just three weeks time. We think of the verse in Isaiah 30:21 that says: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a Voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way. Walk in it.'"

So what are our immediate plans? We are scheduled to visit supporting churches we were unable to visit last year during July and August. Those churches are in California, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. We also look forward to being able to spend some time with Russ's parents who are facing health issues. At the end of August instead of continuing on down south and back to Chile, we will return here to Pasadena for the school year. The churches we were to have visited in September and October will either be rescheduled for next year or Russ would fly back to visit them on his own. In this next year Russ may pursue some substitute teaching work and hopefully some Hispanic ministry in the area as well.

It goes without saying that we very much need your prayers and ongoing financial support throughout this time. Heidi's teaching and whatever part-time work Russ does will be of some help to build up our SAMS account, but the ongoing support is essential both for our needs' being met and for our support level to get to up to what it needs to be for us to return to the mission field next year. Chile is still very much in our hearts, but we believe that remaining here another year is what is on God's heart for our family at this time, and we rejoice to do His will.

With much Love,

Russ, Heidi, Joel, Joshua, Joyanne, and Jocelyn

865-566-7872 (cell phone on the road)

Backpacking Blessings... Last week's eNews began sharing the Human Needs Outreach Team's work that includes Beloved coordinating a community-wide collection of school supplies for at-risk children. Here are the details:

Jesus is going back to school. His presence can be found in the many at-risk children whose life situations are not stable enough to provide the basic supplies needed to begin the school year. As we prepare for our annual Blessing of the Backpacks celebration on August 27, we will be collecting school supplies for at-risk children of Mecklenburg County who are being served by the ministry of A Child's Place. We are not simply collecting these supplies from those of us who worship at Beloved; we are also seeking to bless our wider community by providing an easy way for everyone in Charlotte's South Perimeter to make a difference in these young people's lives as well. Here's how it will work:

*Gif Lockley, Community House Middle School's Principal, will be advertising this partnership and will provide returning students an opportunity to bring in these supplies to Beloved during their Back to School Open House on Wednesday, August 23^rd from 1-2:30pm, 3-4:30pm, 5:30-7pm and during the first several days of school. To volunteer at the Beloved collection boxes during any of these times on Wednesday, contact Michele Nichols.

*Beloved's Trailer will be present in Community House Middle School's parking lot on Saturday, August 26^th from 11am-8pm for the Ballantyne Times End of Summer Bash where the collection will continue during this day-long celebration. Promotion of this partnership effort will be through this new newspaper that has been created to provide local South Perimeter news. Setup will begin at 9am. The rain date is Sunday, August 27^th. To volunteer at the Beloved booth/trailer during this time, contact Michele Nichols.

*To help with the logistical support to make all of this happen, including bringing the Beloved Trailer to Community House Middle School and delivering it with filled supplies to A Child's Place, contact Deb Blackwood.

School supplies can be brought to any of these events or to the Blessing of the Backpacks. Items needed include: combination locks for lockers, book bags/backpacks, 1" binders, folders, notebook paper, Mead composition books, graph paper, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, erasers, scissors, rulers, protractors, glue sticks, pencil boxes, dictionaries, hand sanitizer, liquid soap and facial tissue.

It's time to tell your neighbors. It's time to shop and volunteer. Together we can make a difference!

Serving at God's Altar this Sunday...Angel Army Team 2 (Captain: this ministry position is available; Administrator: Holly Scheppegrell; Pastor: this ministry position is available; Convener: Al Krantz); Acolytes: Jake Scheppegrell, Sarah Stone, Brian Sanniota, Jack Sanniota; Presenters: Betsy Fox & Shari Wynn; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Al Krantz & Bud Moore; Reader: Susan Miller; Offertory Basket Passers: Ryan Cook, Connor King, Emily Scheppegrell, Allie Siedel; PowerPoint: Cyteria Knight.

In our Prayers...for Brandon and Tanna, children of Dick Reif‘s employer who were critically injured in an auto accident. Tanna is conscious while Brandon is in a coma and on a respirator...for those who have died or have been traumatized by the escalating violence in the Middle East and around the world...for those serving in Iraq, especially Ron, Marilyn Doyon‘s brother-in-law & Scott, Dan Hood's brother...for Marie Charbonneau, and the Atwood family who are traveling to be with her, as she completes her immigration interview in Canada to return permanently to the United States...for Judy Gibbs who is recovering from surgery...in thanksgiving for Ann, Barb Johnson‘s sister-in-law, who is being transformed by God's healing presence...for Greg, Sherrill Lowder's brother, who has colon cancer...for Jacqui, niece of Deb and Dan Blackwood who is fighting breast cancer...for Harriett, Kathy Raynor‘s mother who has cancer...for Richard, Ginger Leppert‘s father...for Jessie Powell and Janie Lownes...for Emily, Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter...for Dorothy, Mary Reid's sister who is fighting lung cancer...for Ed and Jean, Dick Reif's parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma...for Bucky, Sherrill Lowder's neighbor, who has lung cancer...for Mike, neighbor of John Armstrong, who is in the burn unit after his house burned down in Charlotte...for Jeremy Lamb who is recovering from surgery...for Cyteria Knight as she seeks permanent employment... for those who travel during this time of summer respite from school...for the staff of Community House Middle School as they prepare for the opening of school...for Sammy, Toni Reif's uncle who died last week.

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him.

May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God,

rest in peace.

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